Reveille
by regie27
Summary: Kuvira inspects the troops under her command on the first day of the Ba Sing Se campaign.


"Battalion, present arms!"

The First Sergeant boomed the command with a voice loud enough to be heard by the last line of the formation. A sharp "swish" sound followed, the right arms of Zaofu guards and Earth Kingdom soldiers cutting the air as they flexed into a salute. A young uniformed woman approached the man and angled her arm in a similar gesture in response. The Sergeant nodded at her almost imperceptibly and with body straight as a razor, spun his heels around while taking a deep inhale.

"Order arms! Parade rest!" He instructed loudly and the scores of columns of assembled troops executed in unison the command. Immutable faces stared directly at the young captain in silent expectation. Kuvira scanned the long columns aligned at the vast open field. Polished armors gleamed with the morning sun. Banners of different colors distinguishing the different outfits flapped with the wind. Behind her stood their objective, the beleaguered city of Ba Sing Se.

"The troops are assembled as ordered captain" the senior ranking enlisted officer informed formally as he quickly fell to her back. A bespectacled dark haired man approached them with a quick jog. Bataar came to join them smoothing with nervous hands the wrinkles of his uniform. He still felt ill at ease wearing the martial attire which had to be procured at last minute from what their quartermaster had managed to smuggle from Zaofu. He couldn't pretend to step in front of an army while still wearing the clothes of a civilian. He had to look the part just like everybody else even if he felt he stuck out like a sore thumb. Kuvira insisted in having him beside her so he had no choice but to comply even if he felt he was being visually inspected by the gruff veteran who was at his flank. The sergeant's weathered face was lined with deep wrinkles and a scar ran from his left temple to his jaw. The Zaofu engineer could sense his hawk-like eyes boring him with a look of profound skepticism. He cleared his throat nervously and tapped Kuvira's left shoulder, extending a folded sheet of paper. She thanked him under her breath with a subtle smile as she unfolded the paper and gave a quick scan to the scribbled paragraphs she had penned in an insomnia filled night. The captain took a deep breath and gave a last apprehensive glance at Bataar. He glanced back, his eyes conveying deep pride and unshakable trust. He was confident Kuvira would be able to convey their vision to this new audience. Her earnest words and her steeled belief in the cause swayed many in Zaofu to join their effort to his mother's dismay. Suyin never expected to have so many of her own people defect the city to follow her protégé and her own son. Even the Metal City matriarch would be impressed by the audience her eldest child and her former pupil now faced.

This was the first time the Zaofu commander assembled the combined forces of Zaofu and the Earth Kingdom military in a formation. She was used to lead formations back home but this was completely different. For most of the Earth Kingdom forces that came to augment the group of volunteers from the domed city, this was the first time they beheld the face of the woman who was to lead them into a city plunged into chaos in an almost desperate bid to steer it back to order. For the first time since she left Zaofu with Bataar and the rest of the volunteers, she felt a twinge of anxiety and apprehension creep inside her. It was tantamount she commanded the respect of this group if a real chance of victory was to be achieved. False bravado and shallow bluster would not inspire them. Only real conviction would do.

On this morning of the eve of the campaign of Ba Sing Se, the future Great Uniter readied herself with a cleansing breath as she approached the first squad with a neatly pressed uniform and armor that could blind with its shimmer. She moved with a self-assured stride, a confident smile plastered on her attractive features. The battle for the hearts and minds of the men and women willing to lay their lives for their cause was about to begin.

The End

Note:

Reveille: Bugle call that signals the troops to awaken for morning roll call.


End file.
